Farewell Red Sox, see ya in the spring

Well that didn't take long. The Red Sox' 2009 season ended abruptly yesterday afternoon at Fenway Park as they suffered their most bitter loss of the season, 7-6 to the legit. Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels proved (like I said after game 1 of the ALDS) that the one-sided past history didn't mean anything as they rallied from a 5-1 deficit and scored three runs in the ninth against Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon (who had never allowed a run before in 27 postseason innings).

As surprising as the loss was, it looked like game 4 was a certainty, it didn't take long to move on after the loss since you knew this team wasn't winning three in a row against the Angels and also, the Patriots played just minutes later at the Broncos.

There is no sport like baseball. With 162 regular season games, not to mention spring training and the playoffs, you spend way more time with your team than in any other sport. Like family, friends and co-workers, you get to know the players since you are right there for their ups, downs and everything in between.

Dustin Pedroia gave the Sox a 2-0 lead in the third with a two-run double. Victor Martinez knocked in Pedroia with an RBI single. Angels starter Scott Kazmir was on the ropes but he held on to go six innings. He allowed five runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout.

In his postseason debut, Red Sox youngster Clay Buchholz pitched well given the circumstances. He went five innings, giving up two runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

Kendry Morales cranked a solo homer to right in the fourth to get the Angels on the board but J.D. Drew more than answered in the home half of the inning with a two-run bomb to dead center.

The Angels scored in the sixth on a double-play ball since they had the bases loaded.

Los Angeles' real damage started in the eighth as Papelbon was touched up for a two-run single by Juan Rivera which cut it to 5-4. Papelbon inherited the runners from Billy Wagner.

Pap got out of the eighth by picking off Reggie Willits and it really looked the Sox would survive as Mike Lowell's opposite field RBI single in the eighth made 6-4.

The Angels' rally in the ninth started with the bases empty, two outs and No. 9 hitter Erick Aybar at the plate. He singled, Chone Figgins walked, Bobby Abreu hit an RBI double, Torii Hunter was intentionally walked and Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run single, making up for a terrible series by him.

Papelbon was yanked in favor of Hideki Okajima and the Fenway Park crowd was stunned, the season was over. Boston went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth as Angels closer Brian Fuentes recorded his second save of the series.

The Yankees also advanced last night with a sweep of the Twins and they'll host the Angels in the ALCS beginning on Friday in what should be a great series.

The biggest question facing the Red Sox in the off-season is whether to re-sign Jason Bay. He's been a very durable, productive player and he deserves a big contract. Hopefully, another team (ie. the Mets) doesn't throw a ridiculous offer at him.

David Ortiz and Mike Lowell continue to rapidly age while Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek might not be back next season. The pieces are there for another great season and a better run in the playoffs. Josh Beckett wasn't himself for the second half of the season. Jon Lester was a rock and Buchholz finally showed his ability on a consistent basis in Boston.

Once the starting pitching fell apart in the middle of this season, this team's margin for error got smaller and smaller. Other than Bay and Kevin Youkilis, no other offensive player exceeded their expectations at the plate. Jacoby Ellsbury had 70 steals, Pedroia was very solid and Victor Martinez was a revelation after coming over from the Indians.

Papelbon is still good but there were plenty of signs during the season that something like yesterday was inevitable in a big moment. He's not Mariano Rivera, a robot that is impervious to age and still as unhittable as ever.

a statement win in October

After pointing out in my last Bruins post how irrelevant the NHL is right now, I am going to do a 180 and tell you what a big win it was last night over the Islanders.

Boston (2-2-0) was completely lifeless at the Garden and faced a 3-0 deficit in the third period before they tied it up with three goals in a little over five minutes. The B's kept the good vibes going as they outscored the Islanders (0-0-3) 2-1 in the shootout.

Looking for a spark, Bruins head coach Claude Julien started talented backup goalie Tukka Rask. It wasn't really his fault as New York scored three goals in the second period.

Jon Sim scored on a power-play goal, Radek Martinek tallied a goal and No. 1 draft pick John Tavares rounded out the scoring for what is expected to be one of the NHL's worst teams.

At 11:59 in the third period, Marc Savard finally got the B's on the board with a goal from Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic. Byron Bitz cut it to 3-2 with a pretty spin and shot that deflected off an Islanders defenseman's skate, past goalie Dwayne Roloson. Steve Begin and Matt Hunwick assisted on the goal.

Through four games, Boston's best line by far has been the fourth which consistently brings energy and pressure.

Less than two minutes later Hunwick tied it with his wrist shot that went top shelf through a ton of traffic in front of Roloson (27 saves). The Garden crowd went nuts as the Bruins had improbably come back from a seemingly insurmountable hole.

Blake Wheeler scored first in the shootout and Rob Schremp answered for New York. Savard was the last shooter to score as the Islanders last two shooters missed the net.

Rask finished with 35 saves in his first win of the '09-'10 season. It should be the first of many this season as along with Tim Thomas, the Bruins possess one of the best goalie tandems in the league.

Boston hosts Colorado tomorrow afternoon in a Columbus Day matinee at the Garden.

Oh Dreamweaver

Yikes. In a carbon copy game of the night before, the Boston Red Sox got another decent start by its starting pitcher but couldn't get anything going offensively against the Angels' starter and as a result lost 4-1 in game 2 of the ALDS.

Through two games, Boston has combined for eight total hits and one run. It's baffling. Most expected this to be a tough series since the Angels had to beat the Sox in the playoffs at some point but this is just pathetic.

Victor Martinez actually gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the fourth as he singled home Jacoby Ellsbury (2 hits), who had led off the inning with a triple.

Other than that, Jered Weaver was lights out. The lanky, stereotypical Southern Californian went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Josh Beckett was cruising until the seventh inning. The Angels tied it in the fourth when Kendry Morales knocked in Bobby Abreu with a sacrifice fly.

Maicer Izturis gave his team a 2-1 lead in the seventh with an RBI single but Erick Aybar (2 hits) had the big play of the night. He hit a two-run triple to center over Ellsbury's head and the Angels grabbed a three-run lead (4-1). Just like in game 1, once Los Angeles went up by more than a run, you had a feeling that was goodnight.

Boston's bats can't get anything going. They're seeing a lot of pitches but they're not working walks or starting rallies.

Jonathan Papelbon threw a scoreless ninth (hopefully its not the last time he's used in the series) but the Angels bullpen was better. Darren Oliver got a strikeout, Kevin Jepsen recorded two outs and Brian Fuentes notched the last two outs in the ninth for the save.

The 2009 Red Sox season could end tomorrow afternoon at Fenway. It's crazy to think that a team that many considered a dark-horse to get to the World Series has been so lifeless. Still, it's only a 2-0 deficit which is doable (four teams have come back from it; including the Sox in '99 vs. the Indians and '03 vs. the A's) if Clay Buchholz pitches well tomorrow and they start making a couple big plays.

Former Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir gets the start for the Angels tomorrow as they try to move on to the ALCS.

Last year (2007 and 2004) don't mean shit

The Angels are good and they're bound to beat the Red Sox in a playoff series at some point in my lifetime.

In game 1 of the ALDS last night at Angel Stadium, John Lackey pitched much better than Jon Lester and Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer.

There's not much else to say about a pretty cut and dry game. Lackey went 7.1 shut out innings, allowing only four hits with a walk and four strikeouts while Lester (6 innings, 3 runs, 4 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts) was doomed by Hunter's bomb.

Lester was able to deftly escape some earlier jams but Hunter came through in the fifth with Erick Aybar and Bobby Abreu (4 walks) on base.

Kendry Morales' RBI single in the seventh inning scored two after Jason Bay's throwing error.

Boston's bats were non-existant as they couldn't do anything against scrub Darren Oliver, who got the last five outs of the game.

Josh Beckett opposes Jered Weaver tonight as the Red Sox try to climb back into the series before they head back to Fenway.

Good thing nobody cares about the NHL in October

For the second time in three games to start the 2009-2010 season, the Boston Bruins submitted a complete clunker.

Last night they went down 6-1 to the Anaheim Ducks at the TD Garden, in a game that the Bruins strangely enough led 1-0 after one period and looked fine.

The B's no-showed against the Caps in the season-opener (4-1), smoked the Hurricanes (7-2; I was there, maybe that's the missing ingredient) and then last night's pathetic display while everyone in New England waited for the Sox game to start.

Marco Sturm put the Bruins (1-2) up 1-0 in the first with a goal from Marc Savard and Dennis Wideman.

Anaheim (1-1-3) popped in three goals in both the second and third periods leaving the Garden quiet and empty by the end of the proceedings.

99-year-old Teemu Selanne started it off with two power-play goals 1:13 apart early in the second period. Corey Perry gave the Ducks a commanding 3-1 lead later in the second.

Evgeny Artyukin and Bobby Ryan put it out of reach and finally Perry notched a short-handed goal that was initially stopped by Bruins goalie Tim Thomas but then bounced off Perry's helmet into the goal. Haha, it was that kind of night.

Backup goalie Tukka Rask deserves a start tomorrow night at the Garden as the Bruins take on the New York Islanders.

Flacco looks good without the unibrow

Nobody is talking about them nationally but the Patriots defense is legit. For the second week in a row, they beat a previously unbeaten team as they knocked off Baltimore 27-21 yesterday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

Unlike the Falcons the week before, the Ravens (3-1) are for real. Not much separated these teams and essentially it came down to a dropped pass on fourth down by Baltimore receiver Mark Clayton.

Tom Brady had his best game of the season, 21 of 32 for 258 yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. Randy Moss (3 catches, 50 yards) scored his first touchdown of the season and Wes Welker (6 catches, 48 yards) returned after missing the past two games.

What this game will be remembered for is the Patriots' (3-1) defense making more plays than the much-hyped Baltimore D. On the opening kickoff of the game, New England's special teams caused and recovered a fumble. All they could get out of the great field position was a 32-yard kick by Stephen Gostkowski.

The next Ravens drive was the Joe Flacco (27 of 47, 264 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) and Derrick Mason (7 catches, 88 yards) show. The ageless receiver had six catches for 77 yards on that drive alone. He finished it off with a leaping, 20-yard touchdown catch when he held on despite landing awkwardly on his head.

Ray Rice showed off his skills with 103 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving.

New England put together its best two drives of the game in the second quarter as they scored two touchdowns in the red zone (which has been the team's biggest issue).

Brady finished off the first with a quarterback sneak up the middle for a yard. Sammy Morris' 12-yard run gave New England a 17-7 halftime lead.

Baltimore's defense got it back into the game with a fumble recovery by Dwan Edwards in the end zone. Terrell Suggs strip-sacked Brady on that play.

Moss put the lead back to two scores (24-14) when he caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Brady. It wasn't a beautiful throw or play but Brady did what he had to do as the Ravens were coming on a blitz. He simply threw it to Moss who had the inside position on Dominique Foxworth.

The Ravens wouldn't go away, a sign of how good they are, as Willis McGahee scored on a 13-yard catch and run.

Brady and the offense had one more score in them as Gostkowski added the final points on a 33-yard field goal.

The scoring defense has been impressive for the Patriots but they had been lacking big plays, until yesterday. Leigh Bodden recorded his first interception for New England and Mike Wright had two sacks.

Brandon Meriweather continued to develop into the playmaker that the secondary desperately needs as he had a team-high nine tackles. Rookie cornerback Darius Butler saw his most playing time of the season and he delivered with a few key pass breakups.

Another test awaits next Sunday as the Patriots travel to Denver to face the 4-0 Broncos and ex-offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Opening Night Flop

When the Bruins Stanley Cup champions DVD comes out next June, it's doubtful that it will feature any footage from last night's pathetic Opening Night.

Two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals came in and thoroughly dominated the Bruins 4-1 before a sold-out TD Garden (yes the fucking name changed for the 100th time in the last calendar year).

The loss wasn't surprising since if you'll recall last season, the Caps absolutely owned the Black and Gold, going unbeaten in four games against them (two losses which I saw in person).

Funny thing about the Bruins this season is that they actually have some hype around the city and New England in general, not to mention nationally. Both Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine (where I get all the hockey info. I need) predict that the B's will win the Stanley Cup this season.

Who cares? Nobody but lazy sportswriters and low-life fans.

Until further notice, Pittsburgh and Washington in the Eastern Conference are better than the B's.

After a fast-paced first period, Washington jumped on top with a power play goal from Brooks Laich. Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin assisted on the goal with 2:45 left in the first period.

Ovechkin showed off his crazy Russian moves in the second period when he smoked a snap/wrist shot past Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30 saves). Alexander Semin and Backstrom assisted on that tally.

Boston's fate was sealed at the end of the second period as captain Zdeno Chara took a stupid cross check penalty after going after Ovechkin. Mark Recchi had been leveled by Ovie and Chara took exception.

16 seconds into the third period, on the power play, Washington cashed in again as Laich scored another power play marker from Backstrom and Semin.

A minutes and 41 seconds later Ovechkin scored off a one-timer from Tom Poti (and Laich).

Patrice Bergeron gave the home crowd something to cheer about as he scored a goal from Steve Begin (newly acquired scrub from the Canadiens) and Mark Stuart.

The only remaining thing that was slightly noteworthy was a fight between Shawn Thornton and Capitals tough guy John Erskine.

Washington goalie Jose Theodore only had to make 19 saves in the win.

Boston and their fans can act like this game never happened by showing up to play tomorrow night against the Hurricanes.